Sheet feeding and cutting machine



APPLICATION FILED AUG. I0, 1916.

Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

[N VEN TOR.

WITNESSES ATRNEY R. C. SEYMOUR.

SHEET FEEDING AND CUTTING MACHINE.

- APPLICATION FILED AUG-10. 1916.

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. A TRNE Y nan 5555s R. c. SEYMOUR. SHEET FEEDING AND CUTTING MACHINE. AHLlCATlON FILED AUG- IO. I9l6- 1,331,727. Paterited Feb. 24,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

- INVENTOR.

I VITNESST I c W M y I f v A TT NE following is a speci RALPH C. SEYMOUR,

OF LABCHKONT, NE? YORK, ASSIGNOB TO GOSS PRINTING PRESS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SHEET FEEDING AND CUTTING MACHINE.

Original application iiled July 16, 1915,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

Serial No. 40,246. Divided and this application iiled August 10,

1918. Serial K0. 114.115.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH C. SEYMOUR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Larchmont, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet Feeding and Cuttin Machines, of which the cation.

The invention relates to folding and printing machines and in certain aspects thereof more especially to rotary folding and pr nting machines for producing a 1:11 e variety of sizes of printed and folded pro ucts from sheets of relatively numerous and various slzes.

The objects and advantages of the invention will in part be set forth hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, such objects and advantages being attained by the means and instrumentalities set forth in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles thereof.

Of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view, partly diagrammatic of a machine constructed in accordance withi the principles of the invention and showing the machine printing upon sheets which are afterward folded;

Fig. 2 is a view generally similar to Fig. 1, but shows the machine printing on a we the web being thereafter cut and folded;

Fig. 3 is a view on an enlarged scale of the left-hand end of Fig. 1, showing the machiCpe folding sheets of relatively large size; an

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the machine folding sheets of relatively small size. a

Fig. 5 is a fragmeiitary detail plan of the variable speed drive for the sheet cutters; and

Fi 6 is a fragmentary, varia le speed drive for the web rolls.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example one embodidetailplan of the feeding ment of the invention, means are provided for varying the speed of the web and cutting means relatively to agiven speed of the printing means, and also in accordance with certain aspects of the invention for varying the speed of the web and of the cutting means relativel to each other and relatively to a given S es of the printing means to get products 0 different sizes when the machine is printing upon cut sheets. By such changes in the relative speed of the web, of the cutters and of the printing mechanism, a much greater variety of sizes of product may be secured than could be secured by mere adjustment of the mechanism, and the desirable results may also be effected of running the folding mechanism at full capacity with any size product turned out.

In accordance with many featuresof the invention, and as exemplified in the drawings, the invention is embodied in a rotary' machine fed from a web roll. A web roll 1 is shown and in connection therewith a variable feed. As embodied, the web roll 1 rests upon feeding rolls 2 and 3 which are of variable speed thereby giving the desired changes in the linealspeed or feeding of the web. In accordance with one feature of the invention, it is contemplated to provide a full speed and a half speed of the web with respect to the speed of the printing cylinders,

and also variations in the speed of the Web from such full speed and such half speed. Suitable devices for effecting this may be applied to the Web roll, feed rollers 2 and 3, such as changeable gears to give the full speed and half speed, and a vari. ble drive, such as cone pulleys or a variable disk drive or other suitable means for the lesser variations-in the feeding speed of the web. Thus the web may be fed off at full speed. or slightly slower than full speed or at half speed 'or somewhat slower or faster than half speed.

' Suitable guiding and feeding rolls for the web are provided such as rolls 10, 11 and 12 and 13 and 14 which direct the web into the cutting devices located ahead of or in front of the printing cylinders. Certain of the directing and feeding rolls for the web, such as the rolls 11 and 14 may have adjustable spring tension in a well-known manner.

The invention in some of itsaspects includes cutting devices variable in'their frequency of cutting with respect to the rotations or frequency of printing of the printing mechanism, and operating to cut the web with various changes as indicated in the speed thereof. In accordance with certain features of the invention, the foregoing are embodied and applied to rotary cutters.

In the embodied form, cooperating cutters are shown on each side of the Web, one cutting mechanism being mounted on shaft 18, from which extend radially shear blade holders 19 and 20 carrying respectively removable shear blades 21 and 22'. On the opposite side of the web path is a rotatable shaft 23 having diametrically disposed shear blade holders 24 and 25 likewise carrying respectively removable shear blades 26 and 27.

Suitable driving or rotating means for the cutting mechanism are provided, and for the purpose of giving or securing a change in timing of the cutters relatively to the web, the blade holders may be angularly adjustable relatively to the shafts 18 and 23, or the shafts 18 and 23 may be angularly adjustable relatively to their driving gears.

The cutters may be run at the same speed as the printing cylinders or at half their speed by suitable means, such as changeable gears.

Suitable means are provided for receiving and forwarding the sheets from the cutting mechanism and delivering them to the printing mechanism. In the embodied form, one or more sets of timing rollers or disks 30 and 31 are provided, having cut out portions 32 and 33 respectively, for timing and effecting the release of the sheets whereby they will be properly taken by the grippers of the press. The rollers or disks 30 and 31 may be angularly adjustable for timing the different sheets, and as'stated a plurality of sets of these rollers maybe utilized. The feed rolls 13 and the timing rollers 30, 31 have the same surface speed as the web, and they may have gear connections to the web feeding rolls 2 and 3 for this purpose, so that their speed may vary with that of the web. Preferably the rolls 2, 3, 13, 30 and 31 are the same in size. Suitable guide bars or other auxiliary devices may be employed for directing and forwarding the sheets, but are not shown in the drawings.

The embodied form of printing means comprises a rotary perfecting press. The cylinder 40 being the first form cylinder, the inking devices therefor being indicated generally by reference numeral 41. The 00- operating inrpression cylinder 42 is provided with two sets of grippers 43 and 44, each set of grippers being adapted to take a sheet upon each revolution of the cylinder and to hold "it while being imprinted by the form cylinder 40 and then to deliver the sheet to the second printing couple.

I ders.

The second printing couple comprises a cumference apart. Said sets of grippers 48 and 49 are adapted to take each a sheet from the grippers 43 and 44 of cylinder 42 upon each rotation of the cylinder 47, and to hold the sheets while being printed upon by the form cylinder 45, the sheet thereby being printexl upon its secondside or perfected, the erfected sheets then being delivered to t e folding mechanism. Referring more fully to the operation of the mechanism already described The web may be fed at the speed of the press cylinders, the cutters in such case using one pair of knives, and cutting twice for each revolution of the printing cylin- The grippers 43 and 44 on the printing cylinder take successive sheets. If the speed of the web be lessened with respect to the printing cylinders and the sheet cutter contlnuing at the same speed, two sheets will be delivered to the grippers 43 and 44, but they will be shorter than when the web was running at full speed, and will be roportionately shorter as the speed of t e web is lessened. Such slowing down of the web may be considerable without interfering with the successful cutting of the web, and the sheets fed to the press will be correspondingly shortened. The timing devices willbe arranged to insure the proper and timely delivery of the sheet irrespective of its change in size.

When the cutters are run at half the surface speed of the press cylinders, they are equipped with two pairs of cutters and are thus running within practicable limits to the speed of the web and yet are able to deliver a sheet each time to each gripper 43 and 44 on the printing cylinder. The web may be run somewhat faster than half speed and thus will deliver sheets somewhat longer than half the full sheet length owing to the web running faster than the cutters. The web speed may be slackened and thus gradually lessen the length of the sheet, cut therefrom and delivered to the press. When the web is running at the same speed with the slow running cutters the sheet delivered is practically half the length of the full sheet. The web may be further slowed down below the speed of the slow running cutters and the length of the sheets correspondingly shortened. The speed and position or adjustment of the timing disks will beaccordingly regulated, so that notwithstanding variations in the length of the sheets, they will be properly delivered to the grippers. Thus the length of sheet fed to the press may he graduated by small and the longest size which'the-impression cylin der will take and a sheet considerably shorter than half size, and at the same time a sheet of any of these various and numerous sizes is delivered each time to each sheet taking grip er 43 and 44 of the impression cylinder. bus the one mechanism is capable of printing all the various sizes.

F olding means are provided adapted to fold the various sized printed sheets deliv ered from the press, and in accordance with certain features of the invention such folding mechanism is adapted to 'foldthe printed sheets a plurality of times in succession. In accordance with certain features of the invention, the folding means of the kind described are also rotary. The foldin mechanism is adapted to take the printe sheets from the impression cylinder 47, and in the embodied form said sheets are taken by a folding cylinder 50, either a solid cylinder or a series of disks, or of other suitable form. The cylinder is provided with a set of grippers 51 adapted to take 'the lead end of the sheet from the gripper 48 and 49 of impression ylinder 47. The folding cylinder 50 is preferably half the size of the impression cylinder 47 and rotates two to one with respect thereto. The cylinder 50, in accordance with certain features of the invention is also a' collecting cylinder. In such case grippers51 are adapted to take one sheet from cylinder 47 and then another sheet on top the first one, the two sheets being folded ofi' together. Any suitable form of operating andtiming means for grippers 51 may be used, various devices for this purpose being well-lmown.

The folding cylinder 50 or other like carrier, is provided with a folding blade of any suitable or approved construction and manner of operation, the said folding blade 53 being angularly adjustable about the shaft 52 of cylinder 50 to bring the folding blade 53 in position to make a middle fold in all the different sizes of sheets held by the gripper 51. For this purpose the folding blade 53 is mounted upon arms 54, conveniently carried at either end of the cylinder 50, the

arms 54 being mounted upon the shaft 52 of the cylinder 50 and bein angularl adjustable relatively to said s aftand I eing held inadjusted position by suitable means, such as clamping screws 55. The cylinder 50 may be cut away as shown at 56 to permit the angular adjustment of the folding blade and to provide suitable means where necessary, for operating the folding blade in case a movable folding blade be used.

The embodied form of means for coiiperating with the folding blade 53 to fold the ,sheet upon the cylinder 50 and to receive the folded ofi sheets, comprises a cylinder, or a like carrier 60, mounted on a shaft 61. Said cylinder 60 is provided with a folding jaw or jaws 62 of suitable or approved construction for cooperating with the folding blade 53 to nip or fold the middle of the sheet or sheets upon the cylinder 50 and to carry them away therefrom by the fold. The detail mechanism for operating the folding jaw 62 is not shown herein, and any convenient form of operating means may be provided so far as concerns most features of the invention. The folding blade 53 and 006 rating folding jaws 62 will be timed to old everysheet or every two sheets off from cylinder 50.

The cylinder 50 is angularly adjustable upon the. shaft 61 to bring the folding jaw or jaws 62 into operative relation with the folding blade 53, when the foldin blade is a larly moved to fold sheets 0 different sizes delivered to the cylinder 50 from the impression cylinder 47. So far as concerns many features of the invention, the

entire cylinder 60 need not be angularly adjustable, but -a supporting portion for the gripper jaws 52 might be adjustable by 1tself.-

The cylinder or like member 60, in the present embodiment, is provided with a folding blade 63 carried upon arms 64 at either end of the cylinder 60, said arms being adjustable upon the shaft 61 of the cylinder 60,. The folding blade 63 is adjustable so as to give a fold or tuck medially to the sheet held by its fold by the gripper 62 to effect the second fold in the sheet in 006 erating with suitable folding jaws. The cylinder 60 is cut away at 65 to permit the angular positionin of the blade 63, and suitable means suc as clamping screws 66 are provided for holding the arms 64 in position upon the shaft 61. The folding jaws 67, which coiiperate with the blade 63 are carried upon a cylinder 68- or like member, the folding operation being substantially the same as that already described, as when the second fold is made in the sheet, the folding jaws 62 release the first folded edge, the releasing mechanism not being shown but same may be of any known and suitable form.

Means for giving one additional fold are shown in the embodied form, and may be generally similar to those already described and need not be further described in detail. The angularly adjustable folding blade 69 is in the same relation to the gripper jaws 67 as the folding blade 53 is to the folding jaw 62 and may be variously positioned to medially fold the folded shape as held by the folding jaws 67. Folding jaws 70 are carried upon a cylinder or like member 71, this cylinder 71 acts also as a delivery cylinder, the jaws 7O releasing the product to a receiving belt or cable 7 2, the stripper 73 being used. if desired, to insure the delivery of the folded sheet onto the cable 72.

The manner of operation of the mechanism just described is substantially as follows The sheet taken by the gripper 43 on cylinder 42, or that taken by the gripper 44 as may be, is carried through the first impression between cylinders 40 and 42 and is then delivered to either the grippers 48 or 49 upon the cylinder 47 and carried through the second impression between that cylinder and form cylinder 45. The perfected sheets are then delivered, either singly or successively in twos, by the grippers 48 or 49 to the grippers 51 on cylinder 50, the sheet thus being transferred to cylinder50. The folding blade 53 and folding jaws 62 make the first fold in the sheet, which is at the same time released by the rippers 51 and carried away, held upon cy inder 60 by the folding jaws 62. Folding blade 63 and folding jaws 67 make the second fold in the sheet, and simultaneously the gripping jaws 62 release the first folded edge, the sheet then being carried around upon the cylinder 68, held by the fold in jaws 70 to make another fold in the sheet which is simultaneously released by the folding jaw 67. The folding jaws 70 carry the sheet around cylinder 71 and the sheet is then released anddeposited upon the delivery device 72.

eans are provided by the invention for running the Web through the printing machine u-ncut, when desired, and cutting and folding subsequent to the perfecting of the web. In this way, a full length sheetis run through the machine, that is, a sheetof the full length of the semi-circumferenceof the printing cylinders.

For this purpose, there is provided at a point in the machine subsequent to the printing cylinders 40 and 42 and 45 and 47, cutting devices and 81. Said cutting devices are provided with cutting blades 82 and 83. The perfected web is led thereto from the last printing couple 45, 47 over guide rollers 84, 85 and 86, with suitable tension rollers, such as the roller 87. Below the cutting mechanism 80 and 81 are arranged feeding and timing rolls 88 and 89, which direct the cut sheets into a pathway formed by suitable means, such as two series of inclined guide bars 90 and 91, which direct the sheets into the gripper 51 upon. the cylinder 50, the folding taking place as before.

In doing high class Work, such as magazinc and fine pamphlet work, when perfecting the web, offset devices are employed in connection with the second printing couple to prevent blurring, smearing or other impairment or defacement of the fresh impression made on one side of the sheet by the first-printing couple. In the embodied form of such means, an offset web 92 is run from a supply reel 93 around impression cylinder 47, between said cylinder and the fresh printed web, said offset web being rewound upon a roll 94. Means are provided for preventing the offset sheets from soiling the surface of the cylinder 47, and for this purpose an oil wiping mechanism 95 is provided operating upon the surface of the impression cylinder 47.

When running the web, if desired, the forms may extend completely around the form cylinders, and the sheets may be full half length of the impression cylinder and the grippers may be retracted and a filler piece used in a well-known manner. Thus the very largest size sheets may be run and cut off after the printing on both sides.

This is a division of my copending application Ser. No. 40,245 filed July 16, 1915.

The invention in its broader aspects is without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A sheet cutting and feeding machine including in combination a rotating member receiving the cut sheets, means for operating upon a web supply roll for feeding the web therefrom at varying speeds with respect to said rotating sheet receiving member, and rotary web cutting means likewise variable in speed with respect to the rotating sheet receiving member.

2. A sheet cutting and feeding machine including in combination a rotating member receiving the cut sheets, means for feeding a Web at varying speeds with respect to said rotating sheet receiving member, and rotary web cutting means likewise variable in speed with respect to the rotating sheet receiving member, the web feeding means and the web cutting means also being vari ble in speed with respect to each other.

3. A sheet cutting and feeding machine includin in combination a rotating member receiving the cut sheets, means including driving devices'engaging and rotating a web roll for feeding a web at varying speeds with respect to said rotating sheetreceiving member, and rotary web cutting means likewise variable in speed with respect to the rotating sheet receiving memher.

4. A sheet cutting and feeding machine including in combination a rotating member receiving the cut sheets, means for feeding a web at varying speeds with respect to said rotating sheet receiving member and rotary web cutting means likewise variable in speed with respect to the rotating sheet receiving member, and rotary timing devices engaging the sheets to govern their delivery to the sheet receiving member.

receiving the cut sheets, means for feeding a web at varying speeds with respect to said rotating sheet receiving member, and rotary web cutting means likewise variable in speed with respect to the rotating sheet receiving member, said sheet cutting means in- V eluding cooperating rotating members at either side of the web and each provided with a plurality of cutting blades, one at least of which is silenceable.

7. A sheet cutting and feeding machine includin in combination a rotating member receiving the cut sheets, means including driving devices engaging and rotating at variable speed a web roll, sheet cutting means and rotary sheet timing means rotating at the same speed as said web roll driving means.

8. A sheet cutting and feeding machine including in combination a rotating member receiving the cut sheets, means including driving devices engaging and rotating at variable speed a web roll, means for feeding the unwound web, rotating at the same speed as the web roll driving means and means for feeding the unwound web.

9. A sheet cutting and feeding machine including in combination a rotating member receiving the cut sheets, means for feeding a web at varying speeds with respect to said rotating sheet receiving member and rotary Web cutting means likewise variable in speed with respect to the rotating sheet receiving member, said web cutting means cutting either once or twice for each revolution of the sheet receiving means.

10. A sheet cutting and feeding machine including in combination a rotating member receiving the cut sheets, means for feeding a web at varying speeds with respect to said rotating sheet receiving member, and rotary cuttin means rotating at the same speed or at alf the speed of the sheet receiving means, and having a plurality of pairs of cutters, one pair at least being silenceable.

11. A sheet cutting and feeding machine including in combination a rotating member receiving the cut sheets, means for feedin a web at varying speeds with respect to said rotating sheet receiving member, and rotary cutting means rotatin at the same speed or at half the speed 0 the sheet receiving means, and having a plurality of pairs of cutters, one pair at least being silenceable and the web feeding means being adapted to run either slower or faster than said half speed of the cutters.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RALPH G. SEYMOUR.

Witnesses LOUISA LOEHR, FLORENCE H. ARMSTRONG. 

